Williker's take on Tex-Mex

Wednesday

Jul 31, 2013 at 5:00 AM

Williker’s Tex-Mex is located in Shrewsbury, thousands of miles from real Texas and Mexican food, but does a fine job borrowing flavors and ingredients inspired by the southwest to offer Central Mass. diners it’s own version of hearty, spicy meals. The restaurant, a log cabin with a long history dating back to 1979, is decorated with old Texas license plates, photos of actors in western movies and plenty of antlers and horns mounted on the walls.

Williker’s is not for those on low-carb diets. Starters range from a corn dog for $4 to snake bites, similar to jalapeno poppers – also on the menu – but with shrimp, for $8. Top on the list is queso dip with chips for $5. A warm, thick cheese dip with bits of jalapeno comes served in a small country-style ceramic pot. A generous amount of thick red, white and blue tortilla chips come served in a basket on the side. The dip is rich in flavor with a level of spiciness that heats up the more you eat and is absolutely addicting, however filling.

Being that the interior of Williker’s is proudly Texan, it seems appropriate to try the Texas Brisket dinner ($14). It’s served like a traditional barbecue meal with cole slaw, baked beans, cornbread and a generous portion of meat. Unfortunately, the brisket itself falls short of expectations. Rather than serving up smoked meat with the expected black crust and a pink interior, as they do in Texas, the brisket at Williker’s has probably never seen the inside of a smoker. Uniformly thin strips of cooked brisket are smothered in barbecue sauce, presumably in an attempt to mask the lack of authentic flavor. It’s a disappointing stab at a traditional Texan staple, but to be fair, Williker’s is pretty far from Texas. But, overall, the meal was still quite satisfying with the cornbread and baked beans being absolutely delicious.

From south of the border, Williker’s offers Mexican-inspired tacos, enchiladas, burrito, chimichanga and fajitas, the latter of which can be made to order with steak, chicken, shrimp or a combination of two. The shrimp fajitas ($13) are three rolled soft tacos stuffed with warm, stringy cheese and large shrimp, topped with a red smokey-flavored sauce, more cheese, sour cream and mild guacamole. The taco shells are slightly overcooked on the ends, but are soft and easy to cut below the sauce and cheese. Refried beans and Spanish rice are served on the side, both warm and complement the fajitas well.

Williker’s holds true to its Massachusetts roots by offering New England favorites like fish and chips and hamburger plates alongside its southwestern barbecue and taco dinners. The bar serves up margaritas, as well as local beers, including Wachusett Blueberry and Country Ale.

History and charming simplicity make Williker’s the cozy little restaurant that it is. Don’t expect to be transported to Texas or Mexico, but instead visit for the comfortable, laid-back atmosphere and its tasty comfort food.